


Something to Break Up the Blue

by collectingnames



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, Pirate Arc, Sharing a Bed, and 5k words later here I am, brief mentions of scars, caduceus has an insight of fuck you, caleb-typical self-loathing, matchmaker caduceus, mild body horror, nothing super graphic or gross, set pre ep49, this started as quick stream-of-consciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 22:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20478320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collectingnames/pseuds/collectingnames
Summary: Sailing back to go to Felderwin leaves Caleb with not much else to do but think.--Another long day of nothing but open ocean, nothing but blue in all directions as they sailed back to Felderwin. Caleb managed to pass the time by absorbing himself in his spellbook, jotting notes in the margins about how to improve the spells, how to cast them more effectively, just the little things he had noticed over time. It would be great if he could master his spells to the point that his hands weren't constantly slightly burned. But he still got distracted. Nott had miscalculated the amount of powder she needed for an explosive bolt one afternoon. Sometimes Beau would just jump along the rigging muttering to herself, he could not tell if it was some sort of Cobalt Soul mantra to help her stay focused or if she was just grunting 'parkour' to herself every time she caught a rope. Jester kept trying to sneak little dicks into his spellbook.And there was Fjord.





	Something to Break Up the Blue

**Author's Note:**

> this started bc I'm obsessed with the fact that Fjord is countershaded like a shark and I don't know if it was intentional or not but it goes so well with his sea/nautical theme. Also, first fic I've written since 2014.

Another long day of nothing but open ocean, nothing but blue in all directions as they sailed back to Felderwin. Caleb managed to pass the time by absorbing himself in his spellbook, jotting notes in the margins about how to improve the spells, how to cast them more effectively, just the little things he had noticed over time. It would be great if he could master his spells to the point that his hands weren't constantly slightly burned. But he still got distracted. Nott had miscalculated the amount of powder she needed for an explosive bolt one afternoon. Sometimes Beau would just jump along the rigging muttering to herself, he could not tell if it was some sort of Cobalt Soul mantra to help her stay focused or if she was just grunting 'parkour' to herself every time she caught a rope. Jester kept trying to sneak little dicks into his spellbook. 

And there was Fjord.

It was a passing thought, though it started to pass more when he had learned of Fjord's history as a sailor. He could remember a book he had read ages ago, before Soltryce was even a thought. A children's book about sea creatures. A beautiful illustration of a shark took up an entire page, the notes on it said that 'sharks are lighter on their front and darker on their back. This is called countershading. A fish underneath it will mistake the shark's light underbelly for the sun streaming in from above.' He thought of that passage when he looked at Fjord. The lemongrass green on his face, that he could see on the insides of his arms, his palms, and on the rare occasions they all let their guards down long enough to not sleep in armor, running further down his neck and onto his chest, disappearing out of sight under his collar. And those tusks, they were just starting to poke out from Fjord's bottom lip. It was more than that though. Fjord had never looked this comfortable on dry land. It was like...he belonged here. 

But there was one last thing, one more note in that illustration that had stood out to him 'Sharks must always swim forward or they will die.' 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There were mousing cats back on the Tide's Breath, with Vandren. He wasn't sure, but back then he had assumed they were feral. They were always hostile if any of the crew got too close. But that behavior is what kept the ship free of rats and the diseases they brought with them. He would never call Caleb 'feral' by any stretch but he could see how the wizard was always on guard, ready to raise his hackles and attack. He was so guarded, what would it take to just. Talk to him, honestly, get close enough that he could maybe try and help him.

"Fjord," he could hear the Zemnian lilt threatening to pronounce the 'j' in his name.

He looked to Caleb, who had approached him from behind while he was at the wheel, "Yes? Caleb?"

Caleb was fidgeting with the component pouch on his belt, "How are you?"

_ Was that it? _ "Um, fine, I suppose. It's been a wild couple of weeks. I'll be glad to get back to port. I never want to think about Darktow again."

"Really?"

He just raised a brow, shifting uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.

"It's just! Well, you seem at home here," Caleb's skin started going flush, slowly making his skin match his red hair.

Fjord wasn't thinking about it when he said it, so soft he could barely hear himself, "The Nein are my home."

Caleb's eyebrows practically flew off his forehead, "I, uh, um. Well, I did not think you were so sentimental, Mr. Fjord."

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Fjord's face was turning magenta from the rising blush that was challenging Caleb's own beet red.

"I'm just, I think I'm going to go belowdecks, not as many distractions," Caleb tapped at his shoulder to suggest the books holstered on underneath his coat.

Fjord could have asked for Orly or somebody to take over the helm. He could have chased after Caleb, try and assuage the awkwardness of their conversation. But he stayed there with his hands glued to the helm, unable to get himself to budge. He just needed a minute to calm down.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Caleb? Hey, dude, are you even listening?" Beau shoved his shoulder to try and get his attention.

"Hm? What? No, _ ja, ja _ I'm listening," he could notice Fjord's gaze slipping towards him from up the dinner table.

"No you weren't," she shot back.

"Okay then, what is it?" He rested his head on the heel of his hand.

"I was just trying to ask if your hand's healed up," she glanced over at Fjord also trying to address the question to him.

Caleb took off his glove to get a better look at it, the blade had only left a thin white line across his palm, "_ Ja _," he gulped, "What about you, Fjord?"

Fjord didn't check his hand, "I'm alright."

"You look like you're going to throw up," Beau said it bluntly but with a brow cocked in concern.

Fjord shot to his feet, leaving the table, "I just need some air."

"If you're nauseous I can brew you something for that," Caduceus offered in his sleepy drawl.

Fjord just nodded 'no' continuing up to the deck without looking back.

Caleb didn't know what he was saying, "I'll go check on him," rushing to catch up with him.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fjord was bent over the railing, retching and dry heaving. He hadn't seen it coming, this sort of thing usually only happened because of his dreams, never when he was awake, but it felt like Uk’otoa was constricting his torso, crushing his ribs and squeezing his stomach out of his mouth. He felt a small, calloused hand start to rub in circles on his back. The nausea finally started to let up a little, enough that he could hold himself upright with the railing. 

"Fjord...what's wrong?" Caleb kept his voice soft.

He needed another moment to get back to speaking.

"You do not have to talk about it if you do not want," he used his other hand to hold Fjord's. 

Fjord grabbed at his chest, where the orb was, "I'm out of practice. Long time since I was seaworthy."

"I don't think I've seen you so seasick in all these months," Caleb said carefully.

"Just kinda snuck up on me," his shoulders weren't trembling so much anymore.

"It is alright if you do not wish to talk about it. Just, just know that we are all friends here and we will help you in any way we can," Caleb sounded so relaxed, so sure. He was probably just saying it to get him to calm down.

Fjord finally let go of the railing, using the back of his hand to wipe off the sea salt that had started crusting at the corners of his mouth, "Sorry, but uh, I think I'm just gonna go to bed. Can't eat right now."

"Is it alright if I come with you? I just want to keep an eye on you if you are feeling so poorly," Caleb craned his head to try and look him in the eye.

_ Say yes, say yes, say yes you great big idiot, just say yes. _

"Sure," Fjord mumbled, making his way to the captain's quarters.

Fjord had to keep his eyes closed to fend off the nausea, fumbling with the doorknob. He thought about taking his armor off but decided against it, flopping straight down into bed, curling up on his side. Caleb sat at the foot of the bed, starting to move his fingers to conjure up a few balls of light.

He sat up long enough to grab his hand and interrupt the cantrip, "No light."

"Fjord?"

"Everythin's too bright. Not that your help isn't appreciated," he had to lie back down.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Caleb didn't sound certain anymore. 

"I'm sure I'll be fine, just need some time. You can stay if you want, though," Fjord laid back down.

There was a long pause as Caleb thought about his next words, "Mr. Fjord, can I be frank with you?"

"Um, yeah, why? What is it?" The question made him uneasy for entirely different reasons and he was starting to struggle to keep the accent.

"If you are running from something, I just want you to know. From one runner to another, running does not make the fear go away. It is always there. Distance will not put it out of mind," Caleb picked at his bandages as he spoke.

"'From one runner to another'?" The conversation started to bring him back, putting his focus into this, not the twisting in his gut.

Caleb deflected, having apparently opened up as much as he was going to, "Do you want me to bring you a plate? For when you're feeling well enough to try eating?"

Fjord's mouth spoke the word without his permission, "_ Stay _."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It came out almost desperate, dripping with yearning like a soaked rag. And there was fear there too. Caleb didn't know the source of the fear but it cut through him, to hear Fjord like this. It was not that Fjord was some great stony stoic that never expressed a single feeling. But hearing this deep-seated fear, not the fear when tensions run high in battle, the fear of one's own mind. Coming from Fjord, it made him want to move heaven and earth to rip that fear out of his voice, his mind. Make it so that it was like Fjord had never been forced to set foot back onto the high seas. If they hadn't been such fools back on the dock in Nicodranas maybe this wouldn't have happened.

But Caleb swallowed it down as best he could, regaining his composure, "Of course, my friend."

Fjord mumbled so soft that he couldn't be completely sure he heard it, "Thank you." 

Fjord did not seem too keen on touch at the moment, he hadn't protested to it back on the deck but he seemed overwhelmed and Caleb knew when he felt that way he didn't want people to look at him much less touch him. Instead Caleb pulled off his coat and draped it across the other man's shoulders, "Is that better?"

Fjord pulled it tighter across him, burying his face in the warm fur lining, "Mhm."

Caleb wanted to stroke his hair, his cheek, make the worry lines lift from his face, "I admire you a great deal, Mr. Fjord. You are a very strong man and I can only hope to be like you someday."

Fjord gulped, "Caleb?"

"_ Ja _?" There was something expectant in his voice.

"You're so damn smart, I could never be a wizard like you. I've never had the patience for books, for study. Your magic is all your own," the last sentence made it clear where this was coming from.

He could try and talk him out of this, or he could just reach out and comfort him that way, wrap his scrawny arms around Fjord's broad shoulders, "Fjord," it sounded a lot more stern out loud than it had in his head, "You had no training when we met, strictly speaking you have had no formal magical education this entire time. And yet you are so powerful, things just happen to you and you roll with it, you learn. Did this patron of yours teach you how to use the falchion? Did he teach you a single one of your spells? Did he ever take the time to explain anything to you? No. He opened a door. As far as I am concerned your magic is all your own."

"That's very kind of you, Cay" Fjord made no effort to accept the (well-deserved) praise.

Without warning Fjord lurched up to his feet and dashed for the little balcony, this time Caleb could hear the salt water bubbling in his throat when he wretched. Caleb took a rag from his bag and wet it with the pitcher on the nightstand, joining Fjord at the balcony and putting the rag against his flushed forehead.

"This is not seasickness, is it?" Caleb knew the answer but figured he should let Fjord say it himself.

Fjord was still in the throes of it, only able to manage a head shake 'no.'

Caleb heard something snap, deeply muffled but he definitely heard it, "What was that?"

Fjord doubled over even tighter.

Caleb scanned the room trying to see if someone had snuck in but it was empty, just the two of them on the balcony. Then he heard a hitch in Fjord's breathing, "_ Was that your rib _?"

Fjord started to bite at his bottom lip, tusks poking out a little more and managed to grunt, "Think so."

"I'll go get help, don't move!" 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later, after Jester had patched him up, Fjord was just sat there on his bed, staring blankly at a plate of bread and cup of broth his friends had brought him. For when he felt up to eating again. Snippets of the conversation with Caleb kept ringing in his head. The stern way he had said his name when he started being self-deprecating. A level of concern he had not expected when his rib broke. The breathy '_ ja _ ' after he'd asked him to stay. Maybe if Uk'otoa hadn't been crushing him he would have tried to pull Caleb close. He could still smell Caleb's coat, feel how warm it was on his back. How reassuring the familiar scent was. ' _ As far as I'm concerned your magic is all your own _.' 

He got up, pulling the blanket around his shoulders and went to sit on the balcony. The sun would start falling soon, it would turn the bright blue underneath him into black glass. When night came he didn't want to sleep, not with that being the place he was most vulnerable to Uk'otoa. His friends had just assumed that he'd broken his rib from some combination of the sheer force he was coughing up seawater and leaning too hard over the railing. He hadn't had the guts to tell them it was his patron invading his waking hours. Still, spending the night completely alone in the captain's quarters made him fill with dread. Sleeping alone was not something he was used to. A 'thunk' from somewhere underneath caught his attention. 

Blanket still wrapped over his shoulders he made his way downstairs to the cabins below. He pushed open a door that had a little bit of candlelight poking out from underneath.

An asleep Caleb wrenched himself awake at the desk, wild blue eyes framed by coppery bedhead, "Knock!"

"Sorry!" Fjord blurted and started to fling the door shut.

"Wait! No! Sorry!...I didn't mean to tell at you," Caleb sounded painfully tired, his voice scratchy.

"Can I come in?" He asked sheepishly.

Caleb was starting to curl up on himself, becoming a tired tangle of limbs, "Mmmm? Yeah, sure."

Then Fjord noticed, underneath Caleb's sleeves he wasn't wearing the bandages. Not that he could see his arms, they were well-hidden by his shirt, still, come to think of it, he couldn't think of ever having seen his arms. Even that time early on in the bathhouse, Caleb had kept his arms squarely out of sight.

"I heard something fall," Fjord tried to ease the conversation along.

"I knocked something over is all, it's fine, I did not mean to wake you up."

Fjord glanced around the room, there was nothing on the floor, "Don't worry 'bout it, I wasn't asleep either."

Caleb started to anxiously run a hand through his hair, twisting it tight around a finger, "Mhm," he grunted in acknowledgment, "How is your rib?"

"Better, thanks."

Caleb was so tired he probably didn't realize the words coming out of his mouth, "I do not wish to sleep."

"We all gotta sleep, buddy," Fjord squeezed Caleb's shoulder and he full-body flinched.

"_ Nein _, I can stay awake," he shifted to prop himself up on his elbows, peering sleepily at his spellbook.

"Is something wrong?"

He just shook his head no.

"Caleb, have you slept at all?" Fjord put his blanket around Caleb's shoulders, trying his damnedest to not cringe in turn when Caleb's shoulders locked up.

"_ Nein, Liebchen _," Caleb was just barely managing to stay awake.

_ Shit, doesn't that mean something? 'Liebchen' definitely means something. Shit, I know I've heard him say it before but I can't think of what it means. _

More importantly he knew what _ nein _ was, "C'mon, Cay, you need rest. You can't burn the candle on both ends like this."

Caleb's chuckle started off small, till it took a turn into hysterical laughing that wracked his chest, "I might as well burn from both ends."

"Caleb?" Fjord knew Caleb didn't think much of himself (any man who had a habit of smearing himself and his clothes with mud probably didn't think much of himself) but this was painful.

The wizard lazily looked up at him, crazed smile still dancing at the corners of his mouth, his eyes bloodshot, hair tangled with bedhead, "Hm?"

"Come on, you need to pack it in. Bedtime," Fjord tried to be a little stern, like he was trying to keep one of the younger kids at the orphanage in line.

"What are _ you _ doing up?" Caleb shot back.

"Bad dreams."

"Then it would appear, _ we are in the same boat _," Exhausted Caleb looked so fucking proud of that joke.

"I swear I'm gonna fucking throw you overboard," Exhausted Fjord was less than impressed though.

"No you wouldn't, _ liebchen _," that little burst of manic energy quickly left him.

Fjord offered him a hand, "Come on, let's at least try to sleep."

"Sharks cannot sleep, if they stop moving they die," Caleb pulled himself up too fast, ended up mumbling it into Fjord's shoulder.

"What are you talkin' 'bout?" 

Caleb's grip on his hand was loose, "I read about it once."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Still, the thought of his looming nightmares made Caleb's skin crawl. His dreams were not some effect of his magic like Fjord's. They were straightforward dreams, dreams that had goals and were quickly fulfilled. There was little room for interpretation in Fjord's nightmares. Caleb had no such luck. All of his nightmares were his own. Still, the blanket wrapped around his shoulders was pleasantly warm.

"Is everything okay?" Fjord's voice softened in concern.

He went to rub the sleep from his eyes and had to stifle his surprise when he felt warm tears on his hand, "I'll be fine."

"C'mon, you can tell me. I can keep a secret," Fjord sounded different for a split second.

"You shouldn't help me," he hadn't meant to say 'shouldn't' it just kind of slipped out.

There was a long pause where they both processed that.

"You helped me last night now I'm helping you, okay? It's tit for tat," Fjord was a bad liar.

"Fjord, you don't need to help me," Caleb tried to say a little more forcefully.

"I wanna help you, Cay."

"** _You can't, Fjord!_ ** This is not something you can fix! It is not like a broken bone! You can't just cast a spell on it and make it go away. _ So stop wasting your time on me!" _ He hissed at him, pulling the blanket off and pushing it back into Fjord's chest.

"Caleb?" Fjord held out a tentative hand, hesitant to try and put it on his shoulder.

His shoulders quaked, his breathing became more rapid and shallow. He was just too tired to hold himself together. Any semblance of composure that he'd been able to manage before crumbled. His chest ached from choking down the sobs welling in his throat. _ Why are you so weak? You weak little wretch. _ His own mind a cruel echo. This stupid fucking boat, there was nothing to do but think. 

Fjord pulled Caleb into his arms, pinning him against his chest as if he could squeeze the sadness, the guilt, the self-hatred out of him. He gripped tight to Fjord's shirt, pulling himself deeper into the embrace, hoping that maybe Fjord was strong enough to do such a thing. Fjord stroked his hair, humming into his ear. 

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay. Shhhhh, it's gonna be okay," Fjord said in a rushed whisper, something soft and meant only for their ears and their ears alone.

Caleb could manage a choked sob, "...Fjord."

Fjord kept running his hands through Caleb's hair, his fingernails brushing against his scalp, "Sh, shh, shhhhh, don't force yourself now, just let it out. Just let it out."

Caleb let himself take another moment to sob at his behest.

Fjord took his chin between his thumb, gently tilting his head up to look at him, "You said bad dreams?"

He nodded, hyper-aware of how awful he must look, scruffy, unwashed, face flushed and covered in watery snot.

"I can sit with you. Wake you up if you start screamin'," Fjord went back to running a hand through his hair.

"That, _ ja, ja _, that would be good," Caleb leaned into the soothing hand.

"Okay, c'mon then. Let's get some rest," Fjord kept an arm wrapped around Caleb's shoulders and guided him back upstairs to the captain's quarters.

A part of Caleb wanted to go back to the cabin he'd been staying in but right now the last thing he needed was to wake everybody up and have all their eyes on him. Fjord guided him in through the door and it only took a split second for him to shuffle to the bed for Caleb to fall fast asleep.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fjord sat down on the floor next to the bed, eyes intent, searching for the slightest sign in Caleb's face that he might be having a nightmare. With the moment ended he was starting to feel the butterflies in his stomach again. He didn't think Caleb was that comfortable with him. Of course, that was just assuming he wouldn't have been like that with someone else. Maybe he was just so exhausted he would have been like that with any of the Nein. It probably wasn't that Caleb trusted him more than anybody else. 

Caleb stirred a little.

Fjord searched his face for some furrowed brow, some drop of cold sweat, nothing. Okay, okay, everything's okay. Fjord gingerly brushed a loose strand of hair out of Caleb's face. He didn't really know much about Caleb. He'd made a few guesses, all kept to himself for fear of being cartoonishly wrong. It wasn't something Caleb ever brought up, sometimes a name would pop up in conversation and he could notice him freeze for a moment. Or there would be a fire. He'd only gotten glimpses of Caleb in that state, eyes glazed over, seeing something in the flames. That was his biggest guess, that he'd lost something in the flames. 

Caleb mumbled something in his sleep, garbled Zemnian that Fjord couldn't parse.

"_ Es tur mir leid _."

"Caleb?" He kept his voice soft just in case he was wrong.

No response.

"M'kay then," he muttered, his own eyes getting heavy.

When he woke up the next morning Caleb was already awake, rummaging through his coat pockets. Despite the night's rest he still looked frazzled.

Fjord got up and stretched, "Lookin' for something?"

Caleb startled, jumping back a step, "My bandages."

"Right! Your bandages, uh, I think they would be back in that room you were studyin' in last night. You'd already taken them off when I found you," Fjord cut himself off when Caleb made a mad dash for the door once he told him where.

"_ Danke _, Fjord!" Caleb called back as he ran away.

"Ah-!" He started to call out but Caleb was already long out of sight.

_ Damnit! _ Fjord kicked himself mentally for not saying anything more. And his back hurt from sleeping sat on the floor the whole night. He put his face in his hands and sighed, regaining his composure before heading out to the deck. The first thing he saw was Caduceus, casually leaned up against the railing watching some gulls fly past. Maybe, he could probably talk to Caduceus about this. Caduceus' ears pricked up as Fjord approached, he turned to greet him with a soft smile.

"Ah! Mr. Fjord! Sleep well?" He leaned down on his staff, propped himself up with it.

Fjord rubbed the back of his neck, in an attempt to ease a knot out of the muscle, "I slept."

"Hm, not well then?" Caduceus' brow furrowed a little.

He came up with the lie on the spot, not sure if he wanted to admit the full circumstances of the night previous, "I rolled out of bed while I was sleeping, didn't wake up, spent the rest of the night on the floor."

Fjord's lie wasn't that convincing, but it was early and Caduceus seemed to be in a trusting mood, with a slight chuckle, "Guess it's easier to roll out of a bed than a hammock."

"Yeah," Fjord responded, there was a moment of silence where Caduceus just stared at him expectantly. He sighed, "Do you know anything about Zemnian?"

"I'm sorry, don't know a lick of it, aside from the little things Caleb peppers in when he's talking. '_ Ja _ ', ' _ nein _', all that. Why? What did Caleb say?"

"Um," Fjord blushed, "I don't know, he was kinda muffled, and sleepy, had trouble understanding him to begin with."

The firbolg raised a knowing eyebrow, "What was Caleb doing in your room last night?"

"Um," Fjord still remembered the 'sleep well with your bad decisions' comment, "he just popped in to check in on me. We got to talking and just kinda dozed off."

"Mm 'kay then. You know, I think he has a soft spot for you," Caduceus could tell he was lying, he didn't outright say it though.

"You think?" It came out too eager.

"There's a trust there, between you two. It's clumsy and awkward. I get the feeling you two aren't used to trusting people. But it's there," Caduceus' smile was soft and knowing.

"I heard my name?" Caleb came over, arms properly wrapped now, and it looked like he might have fought a comb across his head.

Caduceus beat him to the punch, "Mr. Fjord has a question about Zemnian."

"Zemnian?" Caleb's eyes flash with a spark of panic.

Caduceus laid the easygoing aura on thick, "Just a little vocabulary question."

"Shoot."

Fjord couldn't tell if he should be blushing or not, it had seemed somewhat private but he still didn't know what it actually meant, "Um...you said '_ liebchen _ '? You, uh, you called me ' _ liebchen _.' Last night, when we were talking."

Caleb's wide eyes focused on a spot on the deck just ahead of his feet with blush rising in his cheeks, "It is a uh, um, you know how Beauregard says 'bro'? It is a term of endearment like that."

"'Bro'?" Fjord couldn't hold back the sliver of disappointment is his voice.

"_ Ja _, something like that, I suppose," Caleb still hadn't brought his gaze back up.

Caduceus shifted and leaned in to whisper something in Caleb's ear.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why are you lying? He likes you too," Caduceus whispered in his ear.

"Thank you for your input, Mr Clay," he mumbled at top speed, forcing himself not to run away, knowing full well how suspicious it would be.

Fjord pierced the awkward silence coming from him, "We should be back at Felderwin soon. Not much left to this journey."

"I can't say I've ever been to Felderwin, what's it like?" Caleb's eyes kept darting over to the firbolg, baffled at how he had carried on without any comment.

"It’s not too far from Alfield. That was where we fought the chimera. Oh and there were a lot of gnolls when we were there, there was a reward of so many gold per gnoll so Jester was just carrying around a jar full of gnoll ears for when we got back to town. It's a nice little town, farming mostly but it feels like it's gonna start growing soon," Fjord's gaze kept lingering at Caleb for a second or two before focusing back on Caduceus.

"Mhm," Caduceus only nodded.

Caleb needed to clench his fists in his pockets to try and stay composed enough to fight off the blush in his cheeks, "Mister Clay, do you think you could uh give Fjord and I a moment?"

"Certainly, see you two at breakfast then," Caduceus meandered away, tail swishing behind him.

Every fiber of Caleb's body screamed at him to **run**. That he didn't need to drag Fjord ever deeper into his shit. That this was some sort of elaborate ruse on Fjord's part to learn everything there was to know about him and destroy him with it. But that's not the Fjord he knows. Caleb took a deep breath.

"Fjord, I ah, you see, I wanted to thank you for staying with me last night," baby steps.

Fjord leaned against the railing, "Not a problem."

Caleb could see the expectant glimmer in Fjord's eyes. He's waiting to hear it too. "I just, um, if you want to share a room from now on. I can wake you up if your patron is invading your dreams. You can wake me up if I am, you know."

Fjord was still quick to blush, "Sounds good, if that's alright with you."

"Fjord I am the one proposing it. I think I'm all right with it."

"Right! Ah, I guess I'll see you tonight then," Fjord looked around to see if anyone was watching, he lowered his voice when he turned back to Caleb, "Thank you."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fjord went straight to his (and Caleb's?) room after dinner. He still couldn't really believe that the conversation from this morning had happened. All he did was sit there, summoning the falchion every now and again to sharpen it, even though the blade was magical and didn't need a whetstone. He just needed to do something with his hands to keep busy. 

It was deep into the night when he finally heard the doorknob turn. His eyelids were heavy, his mind ached for sleep. The door opened the rest of the way and Caleb stood there with something in his eyes he couldn't place. 

Fjord rubbed the sleep out if eyes, "Hey there, Cay."

"Fjord," Caleb acknowledged him and went straight for the desk.

"You gonna be up much longer?"

He looked up from jotting down notes in his spellbook, "Are you waiting for me? You don't have to do that. If you're tired then you should sleep."

"Right," he had to bite his tongue to keep from hitting himself over it.

There was another long pause while Fjord took off his armor off and got into bed.

"I have a question, of my own, uhmm, about, ah, last night," Caleb set his quill down.

"Shoot," sleep rapidly clouded his thoughts.

"Did you see my arms last night?" Even half-asleep he could recognize the fear in his voice.

"Nuh uh," he was almost completely gone now.

"_ Danke _ I just needed to know," he almost couldn't hear Caleb's soft, "Good night, Fjord."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took another couple hours for Caleb to get to the point where he physically could not stay up any longer. He nearly fell asleep on the floor laying down the silver thread. Once he’d finished he pulled his coat off and slipped into bed, as far as he could be from Fjord while still being on the bed.

At some point in the night, it was probably because of the cold night sea breeze that wafted through the entire ship, Caleb felt something pressed against him. His eyes fluttered open just enough to see. Sure enough Fjord was there. But Fjord felt so familiar, and safe, and having another person next to him grounded him. He nestled in further to him, face flush with his chest. One of Fjord’s arms draped over his own, curled him in a little closer. His sea salt scent filled his nose and it only took a few seconds to fall back asleep.

A loud yawn in his ear and sunrise streaming in through the window woke him up, “Mornin’.”

“Mm, just a little while longer,” he wrapped his fingers in Fjord’s shirt, tucked his head underneath his chin.

“Mhm. Still, ‘Duceus is an early riser. He’s prob’ly already making breakfast. We should get up soon.”

He yawned against Fjord’s chest, “Soon, not now.”

Fjord yawned again, “Hey, while I’ve got your ‘ttention, what does ‘_ liebchen _’ mean?”

Caleb chuckled at how Fjord’s tried to mimic his accent when he said it, “Ah! I think the translation I see most often is ‘sweetheart.’”


End file.
